For Immediate Release
Mississauga ON Canada, 9 September 2007
The airbag industry has long sought a tool that can replace actual inflators during development testing of airbags, cushions, instrument panels and seats. Microsys is pleased to announce the release of the world’s first Cold Gas System with a performance level fast enough to serve as a true inflator replacement.
Powered by a proprietary ultra fast high-throughput valve, the new Microsys Cold Gas System can generate pressure curves that replicate airbag inflator performance, from extremely fast inflators used with side and curtain airbags to high-volume inflators designed for passenger-side airbags.
Both single-stage and even dual-stage inflators curves can be generated, using a Microsys designed electronic firing valve that fully opens within 2 msec of the trigger pulse. The Microsys Cold Gas System allows adjustments in gas quantity from 0.5 to 8 moles, and allows speed adjustments that cover the full range of known airbag inflators.
Cold Gas System Applications
- Airbag module research & development
- Airbag cushion fold experimentation
- Cushion & fabric development
- Design and production testing of seamless instrument panels, covers, seats
“For airbag module designers the new Cold Gas System will mean shorter design cycles as engineers can quickly determine the inflator performance parameters required to generate the desired airbag module performance”, according to Mr. Colin Williams, Microsys Product Manager. “The Cold Gas System will vastly reduce the need for prototype inflators which will result in significant cost savings and faster design schedules.”
Daniel Wang, Microsys Applications Engineer adds: “The problem with using inflators for airbag module, cushion, IP and seat development is more than the high cost and long lead times for prototype inflators. Inflator output also varies significantly, even within a single lot, which makes it difficult to ascertain the effect of airbag design variations. The Microsys Cold Gas System is repeatable to within 1%, thus allowing airbag engineers to optimize the design of their products with greater certainty.”
The Microsys Cold Gas System comes in two electronic firing variations: single-stage and dual stage. As well, an inexpensive single stage pneumatic firing version is available which is perfect for interiors companies that want to replace inflators for Conformance of Production (COP) testing of IPs and seats.
For additional product and application information click here.
